Unilin wood products explosion kills employee, sends another to ER

MOUNT GILEAD, N.C. – A big explosion rocked Unilin’s wood product plant in Montgomery County, North Carolina Tuesday – killing one employee and sending another to the hospital.

Local news sources reported both of the men were airlifted to nearby hospitals for burn treatment after the explosion.

Seedy Bah, a nine-year veteran of the company, died at the hospital the next morning.

"We are deeply saddened to learn that Mr. Seedy Bah passed away at around 2:30 am on May 17," said Unilin in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

The company said Bah was well-liked by all of his colleagues.

The other victim, Raymond Thompson, is still receiving care.

The explosion, which occurred around 3pm Tuesday, is currently under investigation. There is no estimate on damage to the plant.

Four fire departments responded to the scene reported WFMYNews2.

James Tyson, a communications officer for the Raleigh Department of Labor, told the Courier-Tribune that the state's OSHA division is conducting an investigation into what happened. According to the department’s website, an investigation can take anywhere from a few weeks to six months, depending on the accident. If citations and penalties are issued, that information will be released when the investigation is complete.

The plant’s VP of operations told WFMYNews2 that a spokesperson with Unilin’s parent company Mohawk Industries would likely be onsite to release more information.

Unilin, a manufacturer of laminate flooring, recently expanded its nearby Thomasville facility with the addition of a 100,000-square-foot warehouse as part of a $36 million investment. The expansion added 50 jobs - bringing the company’s total local workforce to over 350.

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About the Author:

Robert Dalheim

Robert Dalheim is an editor at the Woodworking Network. Along with publishing online news articles, he writes feature stories for the FDMC print publication. He can be reached at robert.dalheim@woodworkingnetwork.com.